Storytellers to perform in Lake in the Hills

People with folktales from around the world will be sharing their stories next month.

The Algonquin Area Public Library District, along with the parks and recreation staffs for Lake in the Hills and Algonquin, will host a storytelling festival Aug. 6.

It will feature six storytellers who will perform 20 to 30 minutes each. The library district hopes to make the festival an annual event.

The event will include storyteller Darlene Neumann of Beach Park, Paddy Lynn of Mundelein, Vlada Bernhardtz of Glenview, Jennifer Kaap of Elgin, A.Denise Farrugia, a youth library services manager and a member of the Lincoln Story League, and Silvia Kraft-Walker of Plum Crazy Puppets.

In between the storyteller performances, the A La Carte quartet of the Choral-Aires Chorus will provide musical interludes.

The district has wanted to put on a storytelling festival for several years, said Alexa Newman, a youth services librarian who helped organize the event.

Newman said this event will be different from story time that traditionally takes place in libraries.

"These are storytellers," Newman said. "These are prepared stories that they've honed and worked on and put their own spin on."

Each storyteller has his or her own style and voice, and some are more animated than others, Newman said.

"It's a wide spectrum of what can be expected from these storytellers," Newman said.

The event is free and open to children and adults. There will be stories geared toward children, but they will be stories adults can enjoy, Newman said.

Newman said storytelling in general is important.

"Oral tradition is the oldest tradition of carrying on knowledge and stories," Newman said. "We had storytellers before we had written language. It's a way for people to share and participate. It's a more active form of entertainment than watching TV or going to a movie."

To attend

The Storytelling festival is scheduled for 10 a.m to 1 p.m Aug. 6 at Larsen Park at 1211 Pyott Road in Lake in the Hills.